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Kevin Haskin: Chiefs better under Reid, but playoffs? Playoffs?

Structure important as KC tries to dig out from 2-14 collapse

OK, Andy Reid looks good in red.

Just don’t mistake him for Santa Claus.

What the Kansas City Chiefs got was a veteran NFL coach freed from the various obligations that accumulated in Philadelphia, where Reid began losing too many good players, too many coaches and too many games with the Eagles.

For Reid, the Chiefs represent a new beginning he welcomed. To the Chiefs, Reid presents far more structure, which was established during a productive camp.

All of this is encouraging. Too much so, perhaps. Quickly, Kansas City grew into a rising upstart seen as a sexy pick to make the AFC playoffs. The worst season in franchise history, marred by ineptitude, dysfunction and tragedy, has faded from memory. Rather quickly.

Still, expecting Reid to pull off a playoff-bound turnaround in his first season with the Chiefs is a bit like opening a new barbecue joint in KC and immediately overtaking all the old, and new, favorites.

Competition is fairly keen in the NFL. Granted, in-roads can be made quickly with the right moves, the right players and the right schedule — factors many are counting on for the Chiefs — but a jump above .500 by a 2-14 team is a bit radical.

“There aren’t many secrets in this business, when you get down to the nitty-gritty of it,” Reid said during camp. “If everybody’s not pulling the same direction, there are issues. There are problems. So it’s important that we all do that. If we all pull the same direction, good things will happen.”

That pull will be influenced most by Reid, though he does not have to settle personnel disputes anymore. John Dorsey fields those matters as general manager, leaving Reid to get down-and-dirty with offensive linemen in practice, while also discussing every last detail with Alex Smith, the Chiefs’ new starting quarterback.

Yet it’s not just individuals or position groups Reid must address, and motivate.

“When he gets in front of the group, the players are the hardest group to talk to on the football team,” said special teams coach Dave Toub, one of the top hires on the new staff. “He gets up there and he has that presence. You either have that or you don’t, and he certainly has it. I’m not sure you could learn it, but he’s got it and he’s got the guys’ attention.”

So then, let’s begin at the most critical position. Is Smith, a former No. 1 pick the Chiefs acquired from the San Francisco 49ers, good enough to engineer a gigantic leap?

Maybe. Smith is efficient, accurate, experienced and poised. He is not a QB prone to getting big chunks in the passing game, though the Chiefs could prosper in the West Coast format if Jamaal Charles excels again as a rusher. The line, which struggled in the preseason, must gel.

On defense, enough talent exists to make the Chiefs appear solid. Yet is the talent certifiable just because Eric Berry, Justin Houston, Derrick Johnson, Tamba Hali and Dustin Colquitt were named to the Pro Bowl?

Standouts certainly need to provide more effect after KC was outscored by 13.4 points per game in 2012 and lost 10 times by double digits. Those marks reflected complete breakdowns in all phases, bad enough that the Chiefs picked first overall in the NFL Draft. They didn’t exactly get a game-changer with that selection, choosing offensive tackle Eric Fisher.

There’s a lot of catching up to do. Yet a whole lot of experts are counting on Reid and Dorsey to initiate a rapid recovery.

The cool thing is neither seems focused on a quick fix. They seek improvement, sure. They better get it, too, considering the Chiefs were woefully overmatched last season.

Turnover has been significant. Just 14 players remain who were drafted over a four-year span by former GM Scott Pioli. In addition, the Chiefs recently snagged seven players off the waiver wire.

“At the end of the day, what you’re measured with is if you leave this place better,” Dorsey said. “You have to establish a tradition of sustaining on a year-in and year-out basis winning football teams. To me, then you’ve done your job. I’ll never be satisfied with the one-year fix.”

The possibility of a sudden jolt at least creates a lot more enthusiasm around Arrowhead and beyond. The Chiefs are considered this year’s version of the Indianapolis Colts, even though KC lacks an impact rookie like Andrew Luck.

Dig no further than the betting lines for the first week. Kansas City, coming off two wins in 2012, is favored in its opener, on the road, though the game is against Jacksonville.

In addition, the betting public has pounded the season win total for the Chiefs on the futures board, to the point that considerable money is on them to finish at or above .500.

Reid adds much-needed structure. He knows how to scheme, how to tweak, how to coach. Enough talent probably exists to make the team competitive, especially with a benevolent schedule.

Still, a playoff bid for the Chiefs seems a little too much to expect. My pick: 7-9.